Viral first and last day of school photos

Summer is almost upon us, and schools are letting out across the country. There’s also a popular viral trend that is bringing a smile to both students and parents on social media.

Recreating a child’s first-day-of-school picture on their last day of school isn’t anything new, but two particular social media posts this week have everyone talking.

After her first day of kindergarten in 2004, Indiana native Gabrielle Yowell was so excited to see her mother that she leapt into her arms.

“I remember sitting in school and I was so ready to come home,” Gabrielle told HuffPost. “I hadn’t been with my mom all day and I couldn’t understand why she couldn’t come to school with me.”

They're even closer now after her mother's battle with breast cancer, and Gabrielle jumped into her arms once again on her last day of school. “We were close before but even more now because we know how short life is and how unexpected it can be.”

The picture went viral just days after another school-day photo hit the internet.

Jason Gayler of Texas was going through old photos and found a picture of himself walking his daughter Brittany to her first day of kindergarten.

Thirteen years later, on her last day of high school, he held back the tears and took one final walk with his little girl. Brittany posted the side by side on Twitter, and called it a “bittersweet” moment that she’ll “remember forever.”

Watch the video to see why these photos are getting so much attention.